Bunny Poo

Question
one of my friend rabbits has loose poops and no hair on his back legs ? the other rabbits are fine - they all eat the same - all are fixed - ect - she gives him a bath and keeps the area that has lost fur clean - the vet is not sure - yet, he is not really into rabbits -
any info is going to help -
thank you  

Answer
Dear Lisa,

First step is to find a vet who knows more about rabbits.  You can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Then you'll need to understand the various causes and safe treatments for runny stool in rabbits, which can be very dangerous if left untreated, especially in the summer when the bunny could suffer from fatal fly strike:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

The most common causes of this problem are incorrect diet:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

and dental problems (causing pain):

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

If this bunny has a lot of fur missing, he could have mange or another mite infestation.  You can read about the various causes and treatments for abnormal fur loss in rabbits:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/furloss.html

But if the fur is missing only on the back legs, then a very likely culprit is a urinary tract problem (infection, bladder sludge or bladder stone) causing urine leakage.  Urine soaks into the fur and burns the skin, causing the fur to fall out.  The only cure is to address and cure the urinary tract problem causing the leakage.

Please get that poor bunny to a good rabbit vet ASAP.  If he's got urine burn and mushy poop, he is feeling sick and in pain.  He needs help now to feel better.

I hope this helps start him on the road to recovery.

Take care,
Dana